Tiered battery cabinet

Abstract

An apparatus and method of mounting storage batteries are presented in which batteries in multiple tiers may be easily accessed for installation and servicing. A battery cabinet or relay rack has provision for multiple tiers of batteries spaced so that batteries may be inserted in each tier. The batteries are supported by a tray or other structure so that they are positioned to permit top access to the battery terminals mounted on the front or front to surfaces of the battery. Tiers are positioned further from the front of the relay rack as the height of the tier increases.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of housing a plurality of storage batteries in a battery power supply, the method comprising:
 providing a cabinet; 
 providing a plurality of trays; 
 mounting a first tray, a second tray and a third tray of the plurality of trays to the cabinet such that support surfaces of the plurality of trays are horizontally disposed and the first tray, the second tray and the third tray are separated by a vertical distance sufficient to insert a storage battery of the plurality of storage batteries into a space formed therebetween; 
 providing a restraining device for each of the first tray, the second tray and the third tray; 
 providing the plurality of storage batteries, each of the storage batteries having electrical terminals; 
 inserting the plurality of storage batteries into the first tray, the second tray and the third tray such that front faces of the storages batteries disposed on the first tray, the second tray and the third tray face in a same direction; and 
 removably fastening the restraining device to the respective first tray, the second tray and the third tray such that the storage batteries disposed on the first tray, the second and third trays are inhibited from motion towards a front of the cabinet, 
 wherein the respective restraining device fastened to the first tray, the second tray and the third tray is spaced at a consecutively increasing horizontal distance from a plane coincident with front-most structures of the cabinet, the plane being defined over a height range corresponding to the plurality of trays, such that access to the electrical terminals is provided from a direction above the storage battery. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of mounting the first tray, the second tray and the third tray further comprises connecting the first tray, the second tray and the third tray to vertical supports of the cabinet using at least one of screws or nuts and bolts. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a set of connecting cables; and connecting the storage batteries into a series string using the cables of the set of cables. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of inserting the plurality of storage batteries into the first tray, the second tray and the third tray is by removing the restraining device from the respective tray, positioning a storage battery of the plurality of storage batteries horizontally on the respective first, second, or third tray; sliding the storage battery in a horizontal attitude; and, refastening the restraining device. 
     
     
       5. A method of housing a plurality of storage batteries in a battery power supply, the method comprising:
 providing a relay rack; 
 providing a plurality of trays; 
 mounting a first tray, a second tray and a third tray of the plurality of trays to the relay rack such that support surfaces of the plurality of trays are horizontally disposed and the first tray, the second tray and the third tray are separated by a vertical distance sufficient to insert a storage battery of the plurality of storage batteries into a space formed therebetween; 
 providing a restraining device for each of the first tray, the second tray and the third tray; 
 providing the plurality of storage batteries, each of the storage batteries having electrical terminals; 
 inserting the plurality of storage batteries into the first tray, the second tray and the third tray such that front faces of the storage batteries disposed on the first tray, the second tray and the third tray face in a same direction; and 
 removably fastening the restraining device to the respective first tray, the second tray and the third tray such that the storage batteries disposed on the first tray, the second tray and third trays are inhibited from motion towards a front of the relay rack, 
 wherein the respective restraining device fastened to the first tray, the second tray and the third tray is spaced at a consecutively increasing horizontal distance from a plane coincident with front-most structures of the relay rack, the plane being defined over a height range corresponding to the plurality of trays, such that access to the electrical terminals is provided from a direction above the storage battery. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of mounting the first tray, the second tray and the third tray further comprises connecting the first tray, the second tray and the third tray to vertical supports of the relay rack using at least one of screws or nuts and bolts. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of inserting the plurality of storage batteries into the first tray, the second tray and the third tray is by removing the restraining device from the respective tray, positioning a storage battery of the plurality of storage batteries horizontally on the respective first, second, or third tray; sliding the storage battery in a horizontal attitude; and re-fastening the restraining device.